What's the going rate for a non posi Buick 8.5 in pretty good condition? Found a 71 skylark rear and thinking of picking it up to build for a spare. Guy wants $250. Thoughts?
If it's real clean and smooth I think a case for $250 could be made. Or if it had a good gear ratio. Still pricey in my book, or an ASKING price. The typical rust pitted 2.56 2.73 ratio nonposi rears I see go for maybe $125 though on occasion I have paid more. They aren't growing on trees.....
These are everywhere. I wouldn't invest a penny in to one just to have it in case you need it one day. In a pinch you could source one fast.
I’d pay that regardless of gear ratio. Getting a usable gear ratio or posi would seal the deal. I paid $600 for a 12 bolt but would of jumped on an 8.5 if I could if found one.
Jim and myself live in the north. Our sources,junkyards,etc.,ate pretty much dried-up. You will find an occasional parts car to get one,but are almost always pitted or sometimes even rotted to the point that nobody would want it. It’s not feasible to buy one at a time from a place in the south. 5 or 6 yes. Once you breakdown the cost per core,and the freight,then they are affordable for us as the builder,but also the customer that is buying the finished product. You guys might have seen the 8.5’s that I advertised in June. I got 6 very nice cores,and had them all powder-coated,then built each one to suit. I was able to do that because I bought all 6 together,then had them hauled up here for a very reasonable fee.
Yep, That is how you have to do it. I did that when I first started... But it is tough to get people to work these days... lol. Then they think all old car parts are GOLD.... Jim JD
best rear gm ever made,no spacer needed as the carrier is thick so no spacer is needed up i think a 5.57 ratio,has the same rear pinion bearing as a 12 bolt,bigger axles than a 12 bolt,get one from a 71 or 72 cutlass wagon and get bigger brakes,no c clips on BOP,if yo find one in a caprice just use BOP bolt in axles and dont worry about the clips,i used that set up on a street500 hp 67 with 410 gears for 15 years with no problems,gm took all the good stuff from over the years and came up with the "corpret 10 bolt, rear end is under rated"if your buildinga true race go to a race built rear,dont ovr kill a street eng and waste alot of money
I figure if you broke yours tomorrow and posted a wanted ad you'd have one in less than a week. Admittedly i have a stigma against spare parts. I have too much junk i got on a deal as i trip over the 4 455s and associated junk that goes with them that I've had for 10+ years and a over a grand into.... let the other guy keep the junk and you keep your money..
I unloaded all my parts for Monte Carlos years ago when I was restoring those GM cars. Just was too much hassle to try and squeeze money to restore the whole car customers... No one want to work EVERY DAY...lol or at least 5 day work 9 -5 (NORMAL) week and then customers will pay next month...lol if they could get some work....lol... Just went to something I could control totally my self. Rear Ends -NO payments, it was not a ton of money 2500.00 and less so it was some what liquidatable as I started with rears that I could personally use in my own cars if anything ever fell through. GM A-body. I repaired any rears people brought in to start... Now I just pick and choose jobs ... Do not want the RVs or 4x4 anymore ... No Commercial vehicles... Nice place to be for now. BUT I do have a JEEP on the rack right now... SO ... sometimes i will still do a pooper job... I try not to out buy anyone on this site and others for cores as that is what the site is about... BUT that does not mean I will not buy if guys are offering. Jim J D
https://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/ptd/d/1971-oldsmobile-cutless/6759756679.html I went over to see about the one under this car the other day. He was set on $350. They pull it and put it in the bed of my pickup. I offered $200 but he wasn't budging. I'm sure it will get crushed and come back as a washing machine.
We don’t need them to command 12-bolt Chevy money,or what the Chevy gods think the cores are worth. It will just make the final product more expensive,then a new crate axle will be the logical and economical choice.
Exactly what I was thinking, 12bolt cores will be 2k,..$350 for a 8.5 that's crazy I wish I could get that,...I wouldn't tho as I like to sleep at night
Well as long as guys keep buying - the prices will keep climbing. I blame the Auctions for most of this...Everyone thinks there going to get 100K for a muscle car these days after they half ass a restoration. You see HEMI Clones going for that price all the time on barrett auctions etc. one thing you all with Muscle cars need to realize is that the cars out there in the yards and roads are less and less plentiful (many Government plans around here scooped the yards from old cars and got EPA credits or the government shut them down for violations if they did not . The NORMAL regular older guys that use to part out cars... that were reasonable price sellers because they remember what the car cost BACK IN THE DAY... They are old and dying off. NOW you have next gen hoarders that buy them up just to resell for big buck business. Good luck out there. Jim J D
